University of Technology SydneyHandbook 2007

C10132v3 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Journalism) Bachelor of Laws

Award(s): Bachelor of Arts in Communication (BA)
Bachelor of Laws (LLB)

UAC code: 609001 (CSP), 619001 (DFEE)
CRICOS code: 030572D
Commonwealth supported place?: Yes
Load credit points: 244
Course EFTSL: 5.08
Faculty/institute responsible: Law
Collaborating faculty/institute: Humanities and Social Sciences
Location: City campus

Note(s)

This course is currently being revised and new course completion requirements will be in place for 2008. Current students should check the Faculty of Law website for further information.


Overview
Career options
Additional assumed knowledge
Course duration and attendance
Course structure
Industrial training/professional practice
Course completion requirements
Course diagram
Course program
Professional recognition
Other information

Overview

The Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Journalism) Bachelor of Laws is offered jointly by the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. The course aims to produce journalists with the knowledge and analytical skills of lawyers, and lawyers with the communication skills of professional journalists. It develops a broad range of professional skills and knowledge for either legal or media practice.

For those wishing to specialise after graduation, the course offers a number of possibilities including media and communications legal practice, policy and research work, specialist legal and crime reporting and publishing for print, Internet, radio or television, and legal communications or publishing in the private sector.

Career options

Career options include journalist with professional skills in one or more of the print, radio, television or Internet media, legal practitioner in the media and communication industry or legal policy adviser in a government department such as the Australian Broadcasting Authority.

Additional assumed knowledge

HSC English and computer literacy.

Course duration and attendance

The course is offered on a five-year, full-time basis in which the Arts degree studies are integrated with studies in Law. Students are required to attend approximately 17 hours of seminars and lectures per week. Timetable constraints may require attendance at daytime and evening classes in the Law component.

Course structure

The course comprises 244 credit points. It allows students to graduate with the separate degrees of Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Journalism) and Bachelor of Laws. The study components for course completion are as follows:

The Law component of 144 credit points is made up of:

  • 96 credit points of compulsory core law subjects (14 subjects)
  • 24 credit points of law options (four subjects), and
  • either 24 credit points of practical legal training subjects (five subjects) or an additional 24 credit points of law options (four subjects).

The Arts component of 100 credit points is made up of:

  • 36 credit points of compulsory first-year (100-level) subjects (six subjects)
  • 56 credit points of subjects from Disciplinary and/or Professional Strands where specified (seven subjects), and
  • 8 credit points of Elective Studies (one subject).

Industrial training/professional practice

To practice as a legal practitioner in NSW students must successfully complete an accredited legal qualification (i.e. Bachelor of Laws) and an accredited course of practical legal training, such as the UTS Practical Legal Training (PLT) program.

Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Laws or combined Bachelor of Laws degrees have the option of completing five of the eight PLT subjects within their undergraduate degree and the other three PLT subjects concurrently within the Graduate Certificate in Legal Practice (C11128).

Further details about the PLT program can be found online at:

Course completion requirements

STM90400 Humanities stream 100cp
STM90401 Law stream 144cp
Total 244cp

Course diagram



Course program

The standard program shown is for a full-time student who has elected to undertake practical legal training within the LLB. Students have the choice of commencing practical legal training within the LLB in the final semester of study or attempting an additional 24 credit points of Law options. Students who elect to undertake practical legal training within the LLB must concurrently enrol in the Graduate Certificate in Legal Practice (C11128). All options shown are Law options and are to be drawn from those on offer in CBK90042.

 
Year 1
Autumn semester
STM90399  
      50105 Communication and Information Environments 6cp
      50107 Rethinking Culture 6cp
      50109 Power and Change in Australia 6cp
STM90383  
      50114 Journalism 1 6cp
Spring semester
STM90399  
      50106 Media, Information and Society 6cp
STM90383  
      50115 Journalism 2 6cp
STM90401  
      70105 Legal Research 4cp
      70113 Legal Process and History 10cp
Year 2
Autumn semester
STM90383  
      50128 Media, Information and the Law 8cp
STM90401  
      70217 Criminal Law 6cp
      70211 Law of Contract 8cp
Spring semester
STM90401  
      70311 Law of Torts 8cp
      70616 Federal Constitutional Law 8cp
Select one subject from the following in CBK90022: 8cp
50148 Print Features8cp 
50150 Television Journalism 18cp 
50151 Radio Journalism 18cp 
50301 Editing and Publishing 18cp 
50303 Online Journalism 18cp 
Year 3
Autumn semester
STM90401  
      70317 Real Property 8cp
      70318 Personal Property 4cp
Select one subject from the following in CBK90022: 8cp
50148 Print Features8cp 
50150 Television Journalism 18cp 
50151 Radio Journalism 18cp 
50301 Editing and Publishing 18cp 
50303 Online Journalism 18cp 
Select 6 credit points of options 6cp
Spring semester
STM90383  
      50129 News and Current Affairs 8cp
STM90401  
      70417 Corporate Law 8cp
      70617 Administrative Law 8cp
Year 4
Autumn semester
STM90401  
      70516 Equity and Trusts 8cp
      71005 Practice and Procedure 4cp
Select one subject from the following in CBK90023: 8cp
50192 Investigative Journalism8cp 
50194 Radio Journalism 28cp 
50195 Television Journalism 28cp 
50302 Editing and Publishing 28cp 
50304 Online Journalism 28cp 
50305 Specialist Reporting8cp 
Select 6 credit points of options 6cp
Spring semester
STM90401  
      71116 Remedies 6cp
      71216 Law of Evidence 6cp
Select one subject from the following in CBK90023: 8cp
50192 Investigative Journalism8cp 
50194 Radio Journalism 28cp 
50195 Television Journalism 28cp 
50302 Editing and Publishing 28cp 
50304 Online Journalism 28cp 
50305 Specialist Reporting8cp 
Select 6 credit points of options 6cp
Year 5
Autumn semester
CBK90313 Electives (Journalism) 8cp
STM90383  
      50174 Professional Practice and Culture 8cp
Select 6 credit points of options 6cp
Spring semester
75401 Litigation 6cp
STM90102  
      75402 Property Transactions 6cp
      75403 Commercial and Estate Practice 6cp
      75415 Professional Conduct 1 3cp
      75416 Professional Conduct 2 3cp

Levels of award

The Bachelor of Laws may be awarded with First or Second Class Honours, which does not require an additional Honours year. Honours candidates must complete the Research Thesis within the law option component. The rules concerning the Bachelor of Laws with Honours can be found in Undergraduate course information.

Professional recognition

Supreme Court of NSW

This course satisfies the requirements for admission as a legal practitioner, provided students undertake the optional Practical Legal Training in their final semester.

Other information

Further information on the Law component is available from the Law Information Office on:

Further information on the Arts component is available from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences on:

telephone +61 2 9514 2300
email hss.studentcentre@uts.edu.au